Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Calibrachoa pygmaeaxc3x97Calibrachoa parviflora cultivar Kirifu Red.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa pygmaeaxc3x97Calibrachoa parviflora, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Kirifu Redxe2x80x99.
The new Calibrachoa is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Calibrachoa cultivars with small leaves and flowers.
The new Calibrachoa originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in April, 1995, in Tochigi, Japan, of an unnamed proprietary selection of Calibrachoa pygmaea, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary selection of Calibrachoa parviflora, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Calibrachoa was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Tochigi, Japan, in September, 1996.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Saitama-ken, Japan, since March, 1997, has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Kirifu Red have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Kirifu Redxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Kirifu Redxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa:
1. Spreading and prostrate plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit.
3. Short internodes giving a dense bushy appearance.
4. Small leaves.
5. Early and freely flowering habit.
6. Small bright purple-colored flowers.
7. Good weather tolerance.
Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the female parent, an unnamed proprietary selection of Calibrachoa pygmaea. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the female parent in the following characteristics:
1. Flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa were smaller than flowers of plants of the female parent.
2. Flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa were bright purple in color whereas flowers of plants of the female parent were white in color.
3. Flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa produced very little pollen whereas flowers of plants of the female parent produced abundant pollen.
Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the male parent, an unnamed proprietary selection of Calibrachoa parviflora. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the male parent in the following characteristics:
1. Flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa were smaller than flowers of plants of the male parent.
2. Flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa were brighter purple in color than flowers of plants of the male parent.
Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of the Calibrachoa cultivars Kirifu Blue, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/122,734 filed concurrently, Kirifu Compact Blue, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/122,689 filed concurrently, and Kirifu Compact Red, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/122,688 filed concurrently, primarily in flower coloration and plant size.
Plants of the new cultivar can be compared to plants of the cultivar Liricashower Pink, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the cultivar Liricashower Pink in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were not broad as plants of the cultivar Liricashower Pink.
2. Flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa were smaller than flowers of plants of the cultivar Liricashower Pink.
3. Flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa were bright purple in color whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Liricashower Pink were red purple in color.